Many automotive vehicles today are equipped with sunroof assemblies. A sunroof is a panel on the roof of a vehicle that permits light, air or both into the vehicle. There are many types of sunroofs. A typical sunroof assembly has an opening provided in the roof of the vehicle. A panel, typically made of glass, is provided for closing the opening. The sunroof panel may move between an opened position and a closed position, either by a sliding motion or by a tilting motion of the sunroof panel. The sunroof assembly includes a mechanism to move the sunroof panel. The mechanism may be driven either manually or by an external power source such as an electric motor. The sunroof panel includes a seal that keeps out rainwater from the passenger cabin when the sunroof is closed. The sunroof assembly also includes a trough or gutter that extends around the edge of the roof opening and collects drainage such as water that passes through the seal. Drain tubes connect to the corners of the trough to carry the drainage away. The drain tubes are often routed along the roof rails and/or pillars of the vehicle to an outlet and then into the ambient. The drain tubes are hidden from view by the headliner of the roof or by an inner trim panel along a vehicle pillar.
A pillar is a vertical or near vertical support around a vehicle's window area, often referred to as the greenhouse. The pillars are designated as the A-, B-, C- or (in larger cars) D-pillar, moving from the front to rear of the vehicle. In addition to providing structural support, the pillars in automotive vehicles provide important packaging space, particularly as more content is introduced in a vehicle. Vehicle content packaged inside the pillars includes speakers, seat restraints, wires, and the like. Larger vehicles, such as SUVs and vans, may utilize heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) ducting to distribute air towards the rear of the larger passenger cabins. The source of the air may come from either primary or auxiliary climate systems. The HVAC ducting is often packaged, in part, in a vehicle pillar, such as the C-pillar.